Freight-car-door lock.



J. R. HARDIVIAN.

FREIGHT CAR DOOR LOCK. APPLICATION FILED mm. 1915.

1,1973%... Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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JOHN R. HARDMAN, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO.

FREIGHT-GAB-DOOR LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916..

Application filed January 6, 1916. Serial No. 70,560.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. HARDMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Freight-Car- Door Locks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to make it difficult and troublesome for unauthorized persons to steal from freight cars.

The invention consists in the improved means hereinafter described and claimed whereby to open the car door it is rendered necessary that a latch or dog inaccessible either from the ground or the top of the car without the use of some special means be first manipulated before a latch within ordinary reach for securing the door at the lower portion of the car can be released.

The point at which this auxiliary dog or latch should be located is about three feet from the top, of the car.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part hereofFigure l is an elevation of the side of the portion of a freight car containing the door equipped with my invention, a part being in section and the door being locked. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the latching devices released. Figs. 3 and 4: are detail views showing the dog at the top of the car in latching and released position respectively. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the lower end of the latch rod, its bracket or bearing and the rest for supporting the same in elevated and unlatched position. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line w-ac Fig. 5, looking down and showing in broken lines how the latch rod is supported in elevated position. Fig. 7 shows how a key may be employed to release the dog at the top of the car.

In the views 10 designates the side of an ordinary freight car.

11 designates an ordinary sliding door for the car except that in the present construction two angle bars 12, 12, are secured horizontally to the door, the projecting webs of which are each provided with a hole to receive a latching pin.

9 designates a latch bar journaled vertically in suitable brackets 13 and 14 on the door jamb. This latch bar 9 is capable of vertical movement in its bearing and is provided with two latching members 15 and 16 provided with pins 15- and 16 respectively to enter the pin holes in the angle bars before referred to. Because the bar 12 is journaled at a right angle to bar 9 the latching members 15 and 16 are capable of being swung into and out of position in front of the door, and because said bar 9 is capable of vertical movement the pins 15 and 16 can be lowered into and raised from the pin holes in the angle bars.

17 designates a dog or latch secured to a small shaft 18 journaled in the upper bracket 13 so that the dog can swing freely by gravity. On the door latch bar 9 is secured a collar 19 so positioned that when the latch members are down in door latching position the lower end of the dog 17 will stand over it and prevent the lifting of the door latch bar until the dog has been swung out of obstructing position. The shaft 18 carrying the dog 17 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as provided with a knob 20 by means of which the dog can be swung out of the position in which it obstructs the upward movement of the latch bar; but to increase the difficulty of swinging said dog the outer end of the shaft can be squared, as at 21, or otherwise formed so as to require the application of special key 22 to operate it as suggested in Fig. 7. The dog 17 and other parts can be incased substantially as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 to prevent interference with their operation by ice and snow.

The lower latching member 16 is enlarged at its head as at 16 and the bracket of the lower bearing 14 is provided a projection 23 over which the enlarged portion 16 turns when the latching member is raised and turned away from the door, said rest forming a support for the latch bar and its latching members when the door is to be opened. The latching members are provided with handles for manipulating them. The pin of the lower latching member 16 can be provided with a perforation through which the usual wire of a suitable seal 24 is passed, the destruction of which is also necessary to release the latches.

To open a car door'latched with my invention it is necessary that the person undertaking it, whether authorized or unauthorized, first destroy the seal, then ascend to near the top of the car and remove the dog 17 from obstructing position and hold the same while the latch bar is being raised and turned out of latching position. This,

of course, is a troublesome operation, takes time, exposes the Wrongdoer and unauthorized person to probable detection and arrest. a

The parts of my invention can'be modifled to some extent Without departing from the gistof the invention as claimed.

What I claim is; r

1; A freight car door lock including, in combination, a vertically standing movable rod, a latch for'the door secured on said rod accessible from the ground, and a latch automatically operating to lock the rod When in door locking position, said automatically operating latch being located upon the car in aposition diflicultly accessible either from V the ground or the top of the car to release the rod.

2. A freight car door lock including, in combination, a vertically standing movable rod, a latch for the door secured on said rod and accessible from the ground, a latch automatically operating to lock the rod in door locking position, said latch being difiicultly accessible either from the ground or the top of the car to permit door unlatching movement of said rod, a rest for supporting the rod in released position, and means on the rod for holding the automatically operating latch out of rod locking position when the rod is out of door locking position.

JOHN R. HARDMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

